Wrap Up a Healthy Summer Meal – Guest Post: Thai Veggie Wraps

I asked my friend, Sara, to share some of her wisdom on creating healthy meals for her kids. One thing I love about Sara is her passion for health – she has two kids of her own, enjoys cooking and teaching her kids about health as well. (Not to mention her own private yoga studio – hey, Sara, maybe you can help me turn my backyard into a yoga studio!)
Thanks Sara for sharing your yummy recipe – it’s a must try – Thai Veggie Wraps!

As a follower of Jen’s blog and e-newsletter, I look forward to the new ideas and recipes she often posts – many of which are kid-friendly and feature seasonal produce. She’s also my go-to person for creative, healthy snack ideas for my kids’ school parties. We share an interest in helping kids and families eat healthy meals together and enjoy foods without all the sugar, unhealthy fat and processing. There are so many ways to enjoy clean eating!

So Jen invited me to share what works for our own family. How do I get my kids to eat healthy and understand what foods provide the best fuel? Happy to, but where do I start in choosing a summertime family favorite?! With all the fresh fruits and vegetables, summertime food preparation is the easiest – fresh is best!

While I still can’t get my nine-year-old to eat mushrooms, or my four-year-old to eat the “stickery part” (the top!) of asparagus, I’m pretty lucky that they both enjoy a variety of healthy foods and learning about healthy foods. We bought a My Plate with the dividers for fruits, vegetables, grain and protein. They take turns using the plate and talking about how they’d divide up their food into the different groups. I have to laugh when my soon-to-be kindergartener reminds me if we’re missing one of the food groups!

Summertime also provides an opportunity to take them with me to the grocery store. I know … it takes longer, but it’s a great learning opportunity. We try to pick out a food we haven’t tried before and then go home and figure out a way to prepare it.

One of our family’s favorite summertime meals is as simple as a wrap, or a salad, or a salad in a wrap! This recipe is our favorite and most versatile. It’s also great to bring to a potluck. Roll it up in a wrap, pair it with some fresh fruit or veggies and it’s a meal!

Enjoy summertime eating with your family! I’ll keep checking back here for more great recipes and ideas!

Thai Veggie Wraps

For the peanut sauce:

• ¼ cup peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Pinch crushed red pepper

Combine all in a medium bowl and whisk well. Set aside.

For the wraps:

• 1 (8 ounce) bag frozen shelled edamame
• 1 (16 ounce) bag coleslaw mix
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cucumber, peeled and diced
• ½ cup peanuts
• 6-8 burrito-sized tortillas or whole wheat wrap bread

Thaw edamame. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine edamame, coleslaw mix, cilantro, red bell pepper, cucumber and peanuts. Pour on peanut sauce. Toss well to combine. Spoon veggie mix on to a tortilla or wrap bread. Wrap tightly and cut in half crosswise. Serve immediately. Yield: 6-8 wraps, depending on how full you fill them.

Nutrition information (excluding the tortilla or wrap): 207 cal, 16g carb, 13g fat, 9g protein, 8g fiber, 192mg sodium